The cuneiform inscriptions and the Old Testament - The Search For ...

30 THE CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTIONS AND THE 0. T.
the Assyrian monarch respecting the revolt of Merodach-
Baladan. From the three accounts which have come down
to us we select that which Sanherib furnishes us in his in-
scription upon the Bellino-cylinder. We choose this one
because it was composed not long after the events it
describes*, goes into fullest detail, is the most accurate in
dates, and is most important for general history. It reads
thus : Grotefend and Layard line 6 foil. : 6. I-na rls
sarrti-ti-ja §a Marduk-abal-iddi-na sar raS.t
Kar-dun-j a-as a-di ummS,ni I'lamti i-na ta-mir-ti
Kis a§-ta-kan apikta-§u. 7. I-na kabal tam-ha-ri
§u-a-tu i-zib kar^s-su, 1-dis ip-par-sid-ma a-na
m§,t G u-zu-um-ma-ni in-na-bit, ki-rib n^r
a-gam-mi u ap-pa-ra-a-tl f-ru-um-ma na-pis-
tus i-ti-ir. 8. Narkabati, is su-um-bi, sisi,
pari, imlrJ, gam-mal-i u Y. ud. ri. sa i-na u-ruuk
ta-ha-zi u-mas-si-ru ik-§u-da katS,-ai. 9.
A-na ikal-§u sa ki-rib B&,b-ilu ha-dis 1-ru-um-ma
ap-ti-1-ma bit ni-sir-ti-su : hur^su, kaspu, u-nu-ut
hurasi kaspi, aban a-kar-tu nin-§um-su, Sa-
§u, Sa-ga, ni-sir-tu ka-bid-tu; 10. assat-su,
sikriti ikali-§u, avili rabti-ti, avll man-sa-aspa-ni,
si-hir-ti um-ma-a-ni ma-la-b a-§u-u NAM
tab-bi-lu-tu ikali u- §i-sa-am-m a sal-la-tis
am-nu 11. as-bat-ma. Arki-su a-na matGu-zuum-ma-ni
av. mun-tah-hi-si-j a a-na ki-rib nS.r
a-gam-ml u ap-pa-ra-a-tl u-ma-'-ir-ma V. ti-mi
i-pa-ru-num-ma ul in-na-mir a-§ar-su. 12. I-na
346i-niuk Asur btli-ja LX. XX. IX. ir§,-ni dan-nu-ti
* The inscription on tlie Bellino-cylinder was drawn up as early
as the fourth year of the king's reign i. e. 702 B. C. ; see above
Vol. I, p. 30^(?).W